ADAMS COUNTY, Colo. — The Commerce City and Brighton police departments will unveil a new task force aimed at combating sexual assault Wednesday. It is a first-of-its-kind program in Colorado.
The police departments were among seven nationwide chosen to receive a federal grant to participate in the pilot program. It will use data to drive the program and find more effective ways to help victims.
The agencies were given $700,000 from the federal government to get the task force started.
The police departments will work with Colorado’s 17th Judicial District and the U.S. Department of Justice during the collaboration.
In a press release, the agencies said the policing initiative will, “Apply multi-jurisdictional best practices to sex crimes that have proven effective in combating other chronic crime issues.”
It used statistics to highlight why this task force is needed, pointing out that one in four women and one in seven men will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime, yet 70 percent of those assaults go unreported.
A press conference will happen at 3 p.m. Wednesday to talk about the goals of the pilot program and how exactly it will work. Representatives from different agencies as well as elected officials from Commerce City, Brighton and Adams County will attend.
